Seeking to boost area employment, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti kicked off a campaign Monday to help military veterans find employment in the region.

The campaign, called “10,000 Strong,” aims to see 10,000 veterans hired by 2017. Garcetti said more than 100 companies would be offering jobs to veterans over the next few years, with Union Pacific Railroad, Bank of America, Panda Express and dozens of other companies committed to the program, according to a list provided by the mayor’s office.

County agencies are also expected to offer jobs, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is funding numerous construction projects through Measure R, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2008.

Garcetti, who has served in the Navy Reserve, said the 10,000 figure was chosen because it’s “bold number” but also a “realistic” goal.

Appearing alongside Garcetti to unveil the program at City Hall Monday was Los Angeles resident Christina Watkins, 30, who entered the Army at age 17 but struggled to find meaningful work after she returned from Afghanistan and finished school. “Like a lot of veterans, I had a lot of skills that just didn’t translate well to paper,” she said.

City officials put Watkins in touch with the nonprofit Jewish Vocational Services, which found a suit for her to wear to the job interview and helped her land an administrative position at the Salvation Army this year.

Union Pacific Railroad, which operates out of the Los Angeles Port, already has a nationally recognized veteran-hiring program. In 2013, 25 percent of the company’s new hires — some 800 jobs — went to veterans.

“It’s a privilege not only to work alongside (veterans) but also to recruit, hire and train military personnel,” said Union Pacific Director of Terminal Operations Joseph Allen-Thompson, who Garcetti noted is himself a veteran with 13 deployments.

The mayor entered office vowing to address the overall unemployment rate in Los Angeles, which remains higher than other large metropolitan areas. One of his first iniatives was a youth summer employment program.

Garcetti is also backing a state bill to provide at least $400 million in subsidies for entertainment companies in California.